On the surface, Lux may look closer to an arduous academic examination than the latest pop project by a musician who just had a previous single was a collaboration with an international pop star. Divided into 4 separate sections and sung in thirteen tongues, it is a dizzying orchestral-influenced album investigating female mystique, religious ascent, and bodily change, frequently through the lens of different women saints. The end of a romance—a topic treated with raw openness on another major 2025 album—is shot upwards here, supported by the constant sound of a major symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning composer among a long roll call of collaborators. The pure audacity by itself renders the work of contemporary artists seem quite laughable.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
That Lux manages to escape dry intellectual posturing feels nearly a miracle, and full praise going to the artist. Although this is not the first time project to alchemize historical sounds and the present, its ambitions are much higher on Lux, with the tightrope walk far more dramatic. What really elevates this fourth release, beyond its multilayered melodies, rich compositions, and inherent drama, is an essential sense of playfulness. Similar to the iconic Björk during her peak, you find a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice which sweeps the listener into its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking your heart in two, you still desire to be right there for the journey.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
That exuberant energy shines brightly during the stirring Italian song inspired by a saint. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four minutes. Then, everything falls silent, and there's a gleeful giggle followed by a declaration before a comically over-the-top string surge thuds in like cartoonish force. The song immediately segues to the wild track driven by racing strings, a powerful choir, and a cameo appearance from none other than herself.
"The charm with Lux lies in the listener rarely quite know—or even want to know—what it is going next."
Nearly each song finishes at a totally different point from where it started. One moment examines the fleeting trappings of celebrity with a featherlight symphony before disintegrating into digital cacophony. Elsewhere, a song that recalls the artist's previous trap-infused work begins off moody and sinister, featuring menacing vocals, before sudden traditional handclaps and an angelic chorus arrive to soften the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Of Experiment & Accessibility
A key balancing act on the album is straddling the gap between bold innovation and broad accessibility. It is no coincidence that it has become the artist's highest-charting release to break into the Top 5 of major charts: its heart contains a collection of truly undeniable pop songs. A song sung primarily in English builds around a refrain that feels to gather increasingly infectious hooks while it spirals upward. That feat is repeated by a different expansive ballad that expands and constricts, weaving layered tunes like an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number seduces via its playful, Disney-adjacent drama and an anthemic hook.
- In its words, it shares with cultural honesty of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating an ex- partner described as an "psychological bully".
- Across the album, the vocals have a painted-on smile, like a fairy-tale character concealing a knife: "Top prize in acting like a scoundrel / You've won the trophy of disappointment."
An Opulent Feast for the Soul
This album is pop on a maximalist level, a hungry reach for high Art in an era of looming AI-generated blankness. It eschews self-absorption in favor of sublime elevation, creating a dramatic spectacle that skillfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. This is an abundant source of hidden gems that takes time to fully explore but doesn't feels like a chore. While other major releases of the year felt like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet where the guests at it, some intoxicated on holy drink, flit from discussions about ancient saints, the galvanizing feeling of heartbreaking grief, and shared gossip about hopeless partners. In essence, it's a contemporary musical from pop's most endlessly creative visionary.
